Convertible sleigh and go-cart.



J. G. RAITHEL.

CONVERTIBLE SLEIGH AND GO-GART.

APPLICATION. FILED D110. 20.. 1909.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WZ'TNLWJES COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co, WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. G. RAITHEL. CONVERTIBLE SLEIGH AND GO-GART.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1909.

Patentd Mar.25,1913.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

\VJ aura was div/k 0b COLUMBIA PLANOBR PH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN G. RAITI-IEL, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

CONVERTIBLE SLEIGH AND GO-CART.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Application filed December 20, 1909. Serial No. 534,159.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN G. RAITHEL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls, in the county ofHerkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Convertible Sleighs and Go-Carts, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

My invention relates to a convertible sleigh and go-cart, and I declarethat the following is a full, clear, concise and exact description ofthe same, sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which likereference characters refer to like parts throughout.

The invention comprises a vehicle provided with runners and wheels, thelatter of which, by manipulation of certain means, can be brought intooperative position and securely locked therein, the means for effectingthis also comprising means by which, upon release of the lock, thewheels can be swung out of position so that the vehicle travels on therunners.

There are several details of the invention which will appear from thefollowing description with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the device with the wheelsin operative position; Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the device,showing a knee of the sled runners with certain parts of the wheelmountings thereon; Fig; 3 is a rear view of the parts shown in Fig. 2and showing the position of the wheel when down; Fig. Lis a perspectiveview of a portion of the knee; Fig. 5 is a like view of thewheel-carrying block supported in the knee; Fig. 6 is a detail of a partmounted on the block shown in Fig. 5 by which the wheels are raised orlowered; Fig. 7 is a rear view of the wheel carrying member, partiallyin section; Fig. 8 is a view from the rear of the operating and lockingmechanisms, while Fig. 9 is a.

view from the left in Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a view from the right, thethree latter figures showing the device in position where the wheels arelocked down; Fig. 11 is a view of the said parts in the positionoccupied when the wheel is locked up. Fig. 12 is a side view of portionsof said locking mechanism, and Fig. 13 is a perspective view of oneportion of said locking mechanism, Fig. 14 of the companion, and Figs.15 and 16 are like views of intermediate parts; Fig. 17 is a side view,parts broken away, with the frame that suppdrts the parts last referredto, and Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the locking dog with springconnected therewith. Fig.

19 is a partial plan View of the rear of the sleigh, showing means forsecuring the locking members in the upper position.

Referring to the figures in detail, 1 is the frame of the vehicle withbox 2 and handles 3. It is provided with knees 5 and 6, (with connectingbars 5 and 6 overhung as at 5 and 6 to prevent springing of the knees)which carry the runners 7 which are of ordinary form and suitablybraced, with the exception, however, that the rear end of the runner, asat 8, is bent upwardly inprong 9 which bears against the knee and servesto stiffen the frame and brace it against wrenching when it is travelingon the runners and occasion requires tilting of the vehicle so that ittravels on the rear ends of the runners. The knees have a peculiarconstruction or formation particularly shown in Fig. 4. They arepreferably formed with a vertical slot, indicated at 10, in which ismounted the block 11, Fig. 5, the portion 12 of said block rest-ing inthe slot in the knee and vertically movable therein so as to adjust thewheel members which are carried by the block to bring them to a level toraise or lower the entire set. The portion 12 is bored for screws 15 anda plate 16 is provided which overlaps the edges of the slot 10 and isitself slotted, as seen in Fig. 8, for the screws 15, by which the blockis held tightly in place by the bearing of screwheads on the plate 16..A screw 19 is placed in the knee and extends into the slot to bearagainst the portion 12 of the block 11 and hold it downward against thetendency of upward: pressure which is exerted by the weight of thevehicle. The block 11 carries a yoke 20 by means of a shaft or rod 21which extends through apertures 22 in the yoke and across the vehicleinto a similar yoke on the other side.

It will be understood that the construc tion just described is identicalin the four knees of the vehicle. The yoke is secured to the shaft 21and is formedwith two oppositely disposed wrists 24. which are spaced adistance slightly greater than the thick-- ness of the block 21 so thatthe faces of the wrists bear against the faces of the block and kneewhen the yoke is in downward position, as indicated in Fig. 6. At theend of the yoke is a sleeve 26. Into the sleeve is securely fastened atubular member 28 which at one side extends outwardly a distancesubstantially equal to the length of the bore of the hub 30. A bolt 31passes through the tubular member with its head bearing against the huband at the other end having a nut 32 whereby wear can be taken up andthe wheel kept from rattling.

On the shaft 21 and between the rear wheels, as here shown, is an arm 33secured on the shaft. A rod 34 connects the end of this rod 33 with acorresponding arm at the forward end of the vehicle, so that the.reciprocation of rod 34 operates the several yokes synchronously. Therod 36 is connected at one end to the rod 34 and extends rearwardly to apoint of connection with the device for operating the said rods to raiseor lower the wheels 35 and lock them in given position. A rear view ofthis device is shown in Fig. 8. It comprises a block 40 mounted on theplatform or other suitable member of the vehicle. The block istransversely .bored providing aperture 41. A bore 42 is provided whichpasses through the block and intercepts the bore 41. In this last boreis mounted the spring 44 which at one end is connected to the screw-bolt45 screwed into the block 40 and adapted to increase or reduce thetension on spring 44. At the other end of the spring 44 is bolt 47 ofthe form shown in Fig. 18 and which is held in projection, as indicatedin Fig. 17, by force of the spring 44. The members which operate thedevice comprise two lever members 50 and 51, secured by screw 52 and bybolt and nut shown at 53. Each is cut out oppositely so that whenassembled an intermediate space, as at 54, is left, and by means of bolt53 the opposite portions of members 50 and 51 can be brought more orless closely together. Members 50 and 51 are formed to be mounted inblock 40, this conformation consisting of a disk 56 on member 50 and 57on member 51, being counterparts and each having a cutout, shown in eachinstance at 59, wherein the lock or bolt 47 rests when the members 50and 51 as a unit are turned into a certain position, this position beingsuch as shown in Fig. 1 where the wheels are down and wherein the bolt47 prevents the members 50 and 51 from being turned upwardly into theposition shown in Fig. 11 which would operate the mechanism to raise thewheels. The parts 50 and 51 are held in place in block 40 by bolt 53 andscrew 52 clamping them together in position, but between them isinserted a cam 63, Figs. 16 and 12, in such a position relative to theparts 50 and 51 as indicated in Fig. 12 where a portion of the bolt 47is shown. The cam 63 has at one side a stud 64 which passes through thebore 55 in member 50, the end of the stud being squared, as at 66, to beengaged in the slot 67 in the release lever 69. This release lever ismounted againstthe face of member 50 and is partly cut away, as shown at70, to be engaged by pin 71 which limits its movement. It will thus beapparent that when the parts are assembled members 50 and 51 movetogether and may be locked in a given position, as seen in Fig. 1, bybolt 47, and that the movement of the release lever 69 swings the cam 63independently of the movement of the locking members described, so thatthe cam crowds the bolt 47 out of its locking engagement. lVhen theparts are unlocked and swung upward the weight of the vehicle raises thewheels relatively to the body and the members 50 and 51 engage with thewalls of the block 40 and the sides of plate 74 extending rearwardlyfrom the body of the sleigh.

' In the operation of the device it may be supposed that the parts inthe position shown in Fig. 1, the release lever 69 will be pressedforwardly which will swing the cam 63 and press the lock 47 backward, atwhich time the members 50 and 51, which may be called locking levers,can be swung with the release lever 69 so as to operate the mechanism toraise the wheels and bring the vehicle to rest on the runners, when thelooking levers will be held by the walls of block 40 and the plate 74.Conversely, the two levers may be swung downwardly by the foot and farenough for the bolt 47 to engage in the cutout 59 which will bring thewheels into carrying position. Pressure of the footon the release lever69 will unlock the mechanism and the weight of the vehicle will raisethe wheels and turn the levers so that they can readily be pushed by thefoot into upright locking position.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A convertible vehicle comprising a frame having fixed knees andrunners, the knees being placed, one at each corner of the vehicle, andhaving the runners mounted at the lower ends of the same and beingformed with an elongated space in each, wheel-carrying and positioningmechanism supported in the space in said knees, said mechanism beingsecured with vertical adjustment in said space.

2. A convertible Vehicle having a frame comprising knees and runners,blocks vertically mounted in the knees, yokes swingably mounted on theblocks and having faces engaging the blocks to provide against lateralyield, the said yokes carrying wheel members and being swingable toraise or lower the wheels, substantially as described.

3. A convertible vehicle having a frame, yokes vertically and adjustablymounted in the frame, the said yokes being provided wit-h a sleeve, atubular member secured in the sleeve and extending therefrom and adaptedto receive the hub of a wheel, a bolt passing through the tubular memberwhere by to secure the wheel in place on the said tubular member,substantially as described.

4. A device of the character described having a frame comprisingoppositely placed knees at the front and at the rear and runners securedto the knees, front and rear pairs of wheels swingably mounted on thesaid knees each wheel being separately adjustable vertically on itscorresponding knee, means connecting the wheels whereby all may be movedto a given plane synchronously, and a latch, substantially as shown anddescribed, locking the wheels in carrying position, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a convertible vehicle, the combination with sled runners 'andknees, means supporting wheels on the knees and means whereby to swingthe wheels upwardly and downwardly synchronously, of lever membersadapted to swing the wheels downwardly and lock and unlock them, saidlever members including a swinging device with interior disks having acutout, a spring bolt projecting into said cutout and holding saiddevice, a release cam between the disks and adapted to displace the boltand a lever mounted in conjunction with the release cam to swing it intobolt-displacing position by the operation of which members the wheelsare locked in downward position or unlocked to be raised.

6. I11 a convertible vehicle, the combination with a frame with runnersand wheel members mounted thereon to be swung upward or downward, oflocking means for securing the wheels in given position, the samecomprising oppositely facing locking I or lower them synchronously,foot-operative latch-means whereby to actuate the lever means and lockthem, consisting of oppositely placed disks with extensions for rotatingthem, a lock holding the disks in a given position and a cam mountedconcentrically with the disks and having an extension for rotating itwhereby to release the lock.

8. In a convertible vehicle, the combination with sled-runners, wheels,and means to press the wheels into carrying position, of means to lockthem in such. position, said means consisting of a disk-lever having acutout, a spring-bolt playing into said outout, and a cam memberconcentrically mounted with the disk-lever by the turning of whichcam-member to press the springbolt out of the cutout in the disk-lever.

9. In a convertible vehicle, a frame, runners and knees in front andrear pairs, the knees being severally slotted vertically, blocks in theslot, swinging yokes on the blocks and axles in the yokes, meansconnecting the yokes whereby to raise or lower the axles, and a lockinglever connected with said yoke-connecting means to secure the axles ingiven position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN G. RAITHEL. Witnesses ARTHUR W. HYDE, F. ALBERT MINER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

